Heater.



No. 884,300. PATENTED APR 7, 1908.

W. K. STAFFORD.

HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1904.

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PATENTED APR. 7, 1908 W. K. STAFFORD.

HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 5, 1904.

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7 ail/75 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER K.- STAFFORD, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEATER.

To all whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that I, WALTERK. STAFFORD,

' a citizeri of the United States, residing at -burner is usually placed beneath the oven,

and the lower oven or chamber in which the burner is contained is open at its lower end to the air so that necessary a1r can pass into said chamber to sup ort combustion. ,The

hot products of com ustion and heated air pass into theupper oven where the baking is done, and from said ,oven they escape through a suitable outlet opening. The inlet and outlet openings are always open, and

the result is t at whenever the burner is shut off the hot air within the oven rises and escapes through the outlet opening, and its place is taken by cool air which is admitted v the outlet opening,

to the inlet opening. This current of air passing throng the oven very soon cools it,

and 1t is necessary, therefore, to kee more or less of a flame oing all the timet at the oven is to be kept liot.

A gas range with my present improvements applied thereto has means for closing either the inlet or the outlet openings or both whenever the burner is shut off, thus preventing the heated air therein from escaping.

With my improvements applied to a gas ran ethe oven may be heated sufficiently for aking purposes, and after the articles in the oven are partially baked the burner may be. shut oli, and either the inlet opening, or or both openings closed, thereby retaining within the oven the heated air therein. Since this heated air cannot escape the oven will retain its baking tempera- "ture sufficiently long to finish the baking without the. use of any further gas. A material saving-in the amount of gas used-is thus effected.

I havereferred /to a gas stove above Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 5, 1904. I Serial No. 235 459.

Patented April 7, 1908.

merely to illustrate the principle on which my Invention o erates. The invention, however, is not imited in its use to -'gas ranges, as it may be embodied in any furnace or heater where gas, oil or electricity is used as the fuel.

Where the invention is embodied in-a w-ater-heater the heating-coils are placed in a,

heating-chamber which is heated by the burner, and said chamber will be provided with inlet and outlet 0 'enings which are normally open while the urner is in o eration, fresh air being admitted to the et-opening to support combustion, and the heated a1r and products of combustion escaping throu the outlet 0 enin afterv having heate the heating-coi s. Vhen the-water in the coils is sufiicientlyhot the burnermay be shut ofl and either the inlet opening or' the outlet opening or both openings closed,

thereby retaining in the heatlng chamber the heated air, which heated air contains suflicient heat to maintain the coils at the deslred temperature fora considerable len th of timewithout the use of any further fue 2 The above described embodiments of-my invention are sufficient to illustrate its principle of operation, although it is not-limited by any'means to as ranges or water heaters, but is adapted or use in connection with any heater.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a "vertical section through a water-heater embodying my invention; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate-a gas-range embodying my invention, Fig. 2 being a vertical section through such a gasrange; Fig. 3 being a section on the line a::c, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 a section on the line' y'y, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a lan view of the burner used in the watereater; Fi 6 is a frag- ?entary view on'a reduced sca e on line aa,

Tteferrin first to the embodiment of my invention i lustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, 3

designates -a gas-range of any suitable :or

usual construction, said range having the usuaLup er oven 4 inwhich the baking is donean' the lower oven5 in which'ithe burners 6 are located. Said burneisanezeentrolled by the usual valves 7.

The bottomvof thelower-ovenzis provided with a suitable inlet opening v8 through which air enters to support combustion when the burners are 'in'o eration, and theupper ovenis provided wit an outlet: openl v 'ing or openings turned ofi products of combustion and air escape all as -usual in gas-ranges.

In applying my improvements to this type of-gasrange I provide a valve or valves 10 for closing the inlet opening or openings, and other valves 11 for closing the outlet open ings, and preferably said valves will be connected to the burner valve 7 for simultaneous operation therewith, whereby when the gas is turned on to the burner the inlet and outlet openings are opened, while when the gas is 4 said openings are both closed. These valves 10 and 11 may have any suitable construction and may be connected to the burner valves 7 in any appropriate way. I have herein illustrated said valves as slide valves with perforations which are adapted to register with the openings 8 and 9 respectively. Two valves 10 are shown, each one being connected to one of the burner valves 7. The invention would not be departed from, however, if a single valve controlled valve'7, so that the vby all the outlet openings. In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated each valve 10 is connected by a suitable link 12 with an arm 13 on a vertical rock-shaft 14, and said rock-shaft is connected by suitable mechanism, say a sprocket and chain gearing, with the corresponding turning of the valve to open or close it rocks the shaft 14 and theregives movement to thevalve 10. e I have also illustrated two valves 11 for controlling the outlet opening, and each valve is connected to the corresponding rock-shaft 14. For this purpose each rock-shaft 14 has an arm 15 thereon which is connected by a link 16 with a lever 17, Which, in turn, is connected to the'valve 1'1.

It will be readily seen that with the con- 1 struction just described the turning of either valve 7 to openposition will open the corresponding valves 10 and 11, while the turning of the valve 7 to closed position will close the corresponding valves 10 andlll. The result is that whenever the gas is turned onto the burners of the gas range the inlet. and outlet openings are opened, while when the gas is turned-off said openings are closed. The closing of the openings prevents the current of air from passing through the oven and thus rapidly cooling it, and the result is that after any articles inthe oven are 1 oven,

partially baked the gas-may be com letely shut off from' theburners and the finished by the heat which is retained in the thus making a material saving/in the 9 through which-the heated I aking amount ofgas used. ,Where two burnerl valves 7 are used I pr'efer to make the valves 10 and 11 insections, as shown so that only opened, when one burner valve only'is 0 en.

a portion of the-inlet and outlet openings are the burners may be regulated according to the number of burners in use.

In Fig. 1 I have shown another embodiment of my invention, wherein my improve ments are used in connection with a hotwater heater. In said embodiment 20 designates a heating chamber in which are placed heating coils. Said chamber has an inlet opening 21 through which fresh air is admitted to the chamber, and an outlet opening- 22 through which the heated air and products of combustion escape.

I have shown the heating coils within the chamber as arranged in three-series, but this arrangement 18 not essential to the invention, as any arrangement of coils may be adopted.

The three series-of coils are designated by 23 24, 25, respectively, the coils 25 being inclosed withinthe coils 23 and 24, and the coils 23 surrounding the other two series of coils. All the coils are connected at one end to an inlet pipe 26 and at the other end -to an outlet pipe 27. Where this device is to be used in connection with a house heating system the pipe 27 will lead the heated water'to the radiators and the return from the radiators will be taken to the inlet pipe 26. The- 'burner for heating the chamber may be of any suitable orusual type, and is designated by 27. This burner is supplied with gas or other suitable fuel through a suitable gas pipe 28, which pipe is provided with a'valve 29 i for admitting gas to the burner or shutting it oh therefrom.

The inlet and outlet, openings are controlled by valves 31 and 32 respectively, said valves being shown as open inFig. 1. I prefer to connect the valves together for simultaneous operation, they being herein illustrated as so connected by means of a suitable valve stem or connecting rod 33 which extends up through the heating chamber. The two valves 31 and 32 are also preferably connected to'the valve 29 so that all three valves work simultaneously. This connection maybe made bymeans of a suitable lever 34 which is pivoted on ,anysuitable fixed support, as anarm 35 of the valve 29, and-which is pivotally connected both to the valve stem 3.6 of the gas valve 29 and the valve-stem 33. When these valves are in the position shown in Fig. 1 the gas valve 29 is open and gas is admitted to the burner 27 and the inlet and outlet valves also open so that air can be admitted to the chamber to support combustion and the heated air and products of combustion may escape from the chamber. The

closing of .the gasvalve 29 closes both the inlet and outlet valves thereby sealing up the heating chamber and preventing the heated air therein from escaping.

In the operation of the device after the water in the coils has been 'sufiiciently heated the valves are all closed, and the heat which is retained in Saidchamber is sufficient to keep the water in the coils at approximately the desired temperature for a considerable the Minneapolis thermostat. This ther-' mostat 'com rises a spring-motor 40 having opposite y disposed cranks 41 which are connected by means of suitable flexible connections 42, to one end of the lever 34. The motor is arranged so that at each 0 eration it makes a half revolution, the st half revolution resultin in movin the lever '34 in one direction, an the secon half revolution resulting in moving it' in the opposite direction.

The motor is controlled by means of any suitable thermostat, which, in this embodiment of my invention, is preferably a submerged .thermostat, that is, a thermostat contained within a header or chamber 44in the outlet pipe 27. Said-thermostat is illustrated diagrammatically by dotted lines 45, and is arranged to engage either 'of the contacts 46 or 47 according to the temperature of the water in the chamber. These contacts are connected by wires 48 and 49 with the release mechanism of the motor, and the thermostat 45 is connected with the motor by another wire 50 which has a suitable battery or enerator 51 therein.

The t ermostat is so arran ed'that when the water reaches the desired the said thermostat engages the contact 47 andthis completes the circuit and sets the motor in operation. The cranks of the motor will then make a half rotation from the position shown inFig. 1, with the result that the lever 34 is moved and the gas valve and inlet and outlet valves are closed; the burner then goes out'and the heat retained in the heating chamber maintains the water in the 0011s at the desired temperature for a con-.

.siderable length of time. When the water cools the thermostat engages the contact 46, thus completing the circuit through the wire 49 and re turn to the position shown in Fi 1, thereby opening "all the valves. For lighting the burner 27 again when-the valves are open I prefer to have a ilot burner 52 which will'be in operation all t e time and is capable of being moved into and out of an aperture 53 in the side of the heatingchambentemperature easing the motor so that it will re-- The valvestem 33 ispreferably counterweighted by a suitable counterweight 57. In

order to retain the heat in the heating chamber somewhat longer when the inlet and outlet valv'es are both open I have shown a hood 60 which sets over the upper end of the chamber and occupies an'annulars'pace 61 in the top-of the walls of the chamber. The roof of the heating chamber is provided with an opening 62 through whieh the heated products of combustion pass into the space beneath the hood, and the hood deflects said products of combustion downward into the space 6 1 where they pass around the bottom of the hood. From the space between the hood I and the outer casing 63 the products of com bustion pass through the outlet opening 22.

invention that I It is not essential to my valves be provided for closing both the inlet and outlet openings, for it will be obvious that by closing eitheroneof said 0 enings only the heated air will be retaine in the chamber much longer than if both openings were open, and therefore I intend this patent to cover a heater whether one of said openings only or both are controlled by valves. It will also be obvious that with appropriate modifications the principle of my invention can be applied to any I furnace or heater whether it 1s heated by gas, oil or electricity.

I would state therefore that my invention covers any heater or furnace having a heating chamber and inlet and outlet openings, means to heat said chamber, and means to close either one of said openings or both .of them when said means is not in operation.

Having described my invention what I claim asnew and desire to secureby Letters Patent is a 1. A heating chamber having an inlet,

opening for the admission of air and an outlet opening for the exit of the products of combustion, a valve for each of said openings a burner for heating said chamber, a valve for controlling the fuel supply to said burner,

means for operatively connecting said fuel supply valve and the valves controlling the .aforesaidinlet and outlet 0 enings whereby,

when the fuel supply va ve is closed or, opened all valves connected therewith are 5 simultaneously and automatically closed or opened allowmg the heating chamber to be completely closed automatically by the closwhereby, when the fuel supply valve is closed or opened, all valves connected therewith a-i'e slm'ultaneously and automatically closed'or opened, allowing the heating chamber to be com letely closed automatically by 5' the closing 0 the fuel su ply valve, and a thermostat for automatically controlling the fuel supply valve.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subsc ibin Witnesses.

VALTER K. STAFFORD. 'Witne'sses:

LOUIS 0. SMITH, MARGARET A. DUNN. 

